Braven 650 is Swiss Army knife of speakers

We have another Bluetooth speaker review for the masses, and this time around it is the Braven 650. Not only is this a speaker, but it is also a PowerBank, allowing to charge devices via USB out on one end and volume and phone controls on the other. The 650 is packing two speakers and passive sub woofers to add depth to the sound put out by this elegant, yet powerful cube. In terms of power supply, it has a 2000 mAh battery to provide 20 hours of playback or charging your devices while you listen, added to being encased in an aluminum body to match your apple devices. Now that this has become a permanent fixture to my on the go bag, lets get to the good stuff. 

Over the past couple years, there have been a number of Bluetooth speakers that have done their job, some good, some didn’t last long, and then we have this, a portable speaker that has a number uses. The 650 also has what a number of new and upcoming Bluetooth speakers are coming equipped with and that is a microphone for wireless calls as well. The size and design are nice, making it easy to fit in a carry on or laptop bag without losing precious real estate. The ability to charge your phone or tablet when without an outlet comes in handy more often than I thought. The sound was clear, both on calls and listening to music, filling my office or garage, or table outside my favorite coffee shop.

What I would suggest if anything would have been a larger battery back, as having the extra energy is nice, but when using for music AND charging, the charge dwindles away rather quickly. The sound quality while nice was lacking depth and is not a good fit for a bass heavy playlist. It does the most with the space available by packing left and right channel passive sub woofers, but it does not pack much in the way of bass, but does add to the mid range so it isn’t just the highs you are hearing.

This is my favorite speaker to take on the go with me so far, whether I need some added sound or to charge something. While it may not be the best to use for a party, it is my favorite to pick up and go, particularly on the go with my laptop or to take calls from my desk while in the middle of something rather picking up the phone or using a headset. As an MacBook user, I was just as fond of the design as I was of the portable matching powerpack. The Braven 650 is available now for $189.99 and more details can be found here.